MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) condemns the union busting conduct of Avianca Airlines management who terminated the President of the Colombian Pilots’ Union (Acdac), for carrying out his legitimate union activities. We understand that Avianca management is planning similar discipline for many more pilots in retaliation for supporting their union.

Captain Ron Abel, IFALPA President, stated that this outrageous anti-union conduct cannot be tolerated. Avianca pilots and workers are being denied their basic human right to collectively bargain salary and working conditions and not to be subject to discrimination based on union membership.

This behavior, in our view, also violates the Labor Action Plan in the current U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and the International Labor Organization Fundamental Conventions 87 & 98 that Colombia has ratified, which protect the rights of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in industrial action.

IFALPA is also concerned that the “non-punitive” or “Positive Safety Culture” recommendation from The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations Specialized Agency, has been undermined by the actions of Avianca management. Flight Safety is a pilot’s number one priority. Distractions, concerns about employment status, and difficult relationships with the employer, can adversely impact a pilot’s focus on his primary function, the safe operation of the aircraft.

IFALPA urges Avianca management to change its course and work to regain the trust of its pilots in order to reestablish a Positive Safety Culture environment.

Captain Abel pledges the full support of IFALPA to the Avianca pilots represented by Acdac to reinstate them to their positions with no retaliation by Avianca management. IFALPA will be communicating with the appropriate Colombian government officials to seek their intervention and bring this unfortunate matter to a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

Note to Editors: The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations represents more than 100,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries around the globe. The mission of IFALPA is to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide and to be the global advocate of the piloting profession; providing representation, services and support to both our members and the aviation industry.

Bogota, Mar 2 (Prensa Latina) The Colombia-based airline Avianca continues today with disciplinary hearings against Colombian pilots who participated in a strike last year, with the balance of almost a hundred of them fired so far.

In four days of disciplinary proceedings, 74 unionized pilots, belonging to the Colombian Association of Civil Aviators (Acdac), who had taken part in the strike that lasted more than 50 days between September and November 2017, were laid off.

When the company's courts began on Monday, one of the first dismissed was Captain Jaime Hernández, leader of Acdac, who denounced the illegality of Avianca's decision and said that he will lodge a guardianship against it.

According to Acdac, for this Friday, 34 pilots would be summoned for their respective audiences.

The Single Confederation of Workers of Colombia (CUT) described the mass dismissal of the pilot as a labor massacre for demanding a labor and salary improvement in a strike.

The Labor Minister of Colombia, Griselda Restrepo, said that the Government has no legal tools to reverse the dismissal process that will continue until March 7.

Blatant union busting of a soon to be UAL joint venture partner that could have serious implications for the UAL pilot group in terms of all future South America growth getting outsourced to the far lower cost carrier.

Maybe a press release denouncing the actions of Avianca management or something to show solidarity with the Avianca pilots would be in order.

“Avianca management has engaged in blatant union-busting by subjecting union leaders and union members alike to arbitrary discipline proceedings. Management has even brought criminal charges against the union president. These heavy-handed tactics can only serve to distract and have no place in a highly safety-sensitive industry like ours. The dedicated professional pilots who fly for Avianca deserve better, and so do the passengers who place their trust in the airline.

“APA concurs with the assessment of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations that Avianca management’s conduct violates the Labor Action Plan in the current U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and the International Labor Organization Fundamental Conventions 87 & 98. In accordance with these in-force agreements, the pilots of Avianca have the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in industrial action.

“We likewise concur with IFALPA that Avianca management’s conduct runs counter to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s recommendations regarding the need for a non-punitive safety culture.

“For these reasons and for the good of all concerned, we urge Avianca management to take a different approach — one that conforms to international norms and respects the legitimate rights of Avianca’s pilots.

“APA representatives will remain in close contact with our brother and sister pilots at Avianca, and we stand ready to help.”

Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org. American Airlines is the world’s largest passenger airline.

There has been a lot of work behind the scenes by some ALPA committees (DAL and UAL specifically) and a letter sent by Tim Canoll to the President of Colombia. Would still like to see them issue a press release though.

In a March 27 letter to the Boeing Company, Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA's president, denounced a recent decision by the company that will adversely affect Avianca's airline pilots in their fight to bargain a collective agreement with their management.

Following a strike that has now concluded, Avianca management has reneged on a previously accepted agreement that forbids retribution against the striking pilots and has retaliated against the leaders of Asociación Colombiana de Aviadores Civiles, unjustly dismissing more than 100 union pilots.

Following Avianca's recent dismissal of 12 Boeing 787 pilots, ALPA understands that the Boeing Company has agreed to provide 12 Boeing 787 pilots to Avianca for a period of eight months. It appears this agreement would result in the replacement with foreign pilots of the 12 qualified and experienced Colombian airline pilots who honored their union's strike.

President Canoll makes clear in the letter that ALPA's support of the Avianca pilots is unequivocal. We urge the Boeing Company to reconsider its decision and respect international law and trade agreements as well as the collective bargaining rights of Avianca's union workers.